Rick Bursky

The mayor ordered a statue of himself
erected at the stop of a steep road that twisted
up from the beach. It took five days
to find a large rock that looked like him.

-Rick Bursky
from The Growers Of Olive Trees
The Soup of Something Missing by Rick Bursky


A man on a bicycle late in the day,
shadow following at his heels,
an eclipse of sorts stretching

-Rick Bursky
from The Man Who Sharpened Pencils
The Soup of Something Missing by Rick Bursky


Slowly lower yourself
to the water, like the quiet book returning
to a shelf in a library.

-Rick Bursky from The Lover's Bath
The Soup of Something Missing by Rick Bursky